XII

The great vision of this book goes straight forward, from
the fourth to the twenty-second chapter. Only the tenth, with part of
the eleventh chapter, was a kind of introduction to the trumpet of the
seventh angel; after which it is said, "The second woe is past: behold,
the third woe cometh quickly." Immediately the seventh angel sounds,
under whom the third woe goes forth. And to this trumpet belongs all
that is related to the end of the book. Verse

1. And a great sign was seen in heaven - Not only by St.
John, but many heavenly spectators represented in the vision. A sign
means something that has an uncommon appearance, and from which we infer
that some unusual thing will follow. A woman - The emblem of the church
of Christ, as she is originally of Israel, though built and enlarged on
all sides by the addition of heathen converts; and as she will hereafter
appear, when all her "natural branches are again "grafted in." She is at
present on earth; and yet, with regard to her union with Christ, may be
said to be in heaven, Eph. ii,
6. Accordingly, she is described as both assaulted and
defended in heaven, verses 4, 7. chap. xii, 4, 7 Clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars -
These figurative expressions must he so interpreted as to preserve a due
proportion between them. So, in Joseph's dream, the sun betokened his
father; the moon, his mother; the stars, their children. There may be
some such resemblance here; and as the prophecy points out the "power
over all nations," perhaps the sun may betoken the Christian world; the
moon, the Mahometans, who also carry the moon in their ensigns; and the
crown of twelve stars, the twelve tribes of Israel; which are smaller
than the sun and moon. The whole of this chapter answers the state of
the church from the ninth century to this time.

2. And being with child she crieth, travailing in birth -
The very pain, without any outward opposition, would constrain a woman
in travail to cry out. These cries, throes, and pains to be delivered,
were the painful longings, the sighs, and prayers of the saints for the
coming of the kingdom of God. The woman groaned and travailed in spirit,
that Christ might appear, as the Shepherd and King of all nations.

3. And behold a great red dragon - His fiery-red colour
denoting his disposition. Having seven heads - Implying vast wisdom. And
ten horns - Perhaps on the seventh head; emblems of mighty power and
strength, which he still retained. And seven diadems on his heads - Not
properly crowns, but costly bindings, such as kings anciently wore; for,
though fallen, he was a great potentate still, even "the prince of this
world."

4. And his tail - His falsehood and subtilty. Draweth - As
a train. The third part - A very large number. Of the stars of heaven -
The Christians and their teachers, who before sat in heavenly places
with Christ Jesus. And casteth them to the earth - Utterly deprives them
of all those heavenly blessings. This is properly a part of the
description of the dragon, who was not yet himself on earth, but in
heaven: consequently, this casting them down was between the beginning
of the seventh trumpet and the beginning of the third woe; or between
the year 847 and the year 947; at which time pestilent doctrines,
particularly that of the Manichees in the east, drew abundance of people
from the truth. And the dragon stood before the woman, that when she had
brought forth, he might devour the child - That he might hinder the
kingdom of Christ from spreading abroad, as it does under this
trumpet.

5. And she brought forth a man child - Even Christ,
considered not in his person, but in his kingdom. In the ninth age, many
nations with their princes were added to the Christian church. Who was
to rule all nations - When his time is come. And her child - Which was
already in heaven, as were the woman and the dragon. Was caught up to
God - Taken utterly out of his reach.

6. And the woman fled into the wilderness - This wilderness
is undoubtedly on earth, where the woman also herself is now supposed to
be. It betokens that part of the earth where, after having brought
forth, she found a new abode. And this must be in Europe; as Asia and
Afric were wholly in the hands of the Turks and Saracens; and in a part
of it where the woman had not been before. In this wilderness, God had
already prepared a place; that is, made it safe and convenient for her.
The wilderness is, those countries of Europe which lie on this side the
Danube; for the countries which lie beyond it had received Christianity
before. That they may feed her - That the people of that place may
provide all things needful for her. Twelve hundred and sixty days - So
many prophetic days, which are not, as some have supposed, twelve
hundred and sixty, but seven hundred and seventy-seven, common years.
This Bengelius has shown at large in his German Introduction. These we
may compute from the year 847 to 1524. So long the woman enjoyed a safe
and convenient place in Europe, which was chiefly Bohemia; where she was
fed, till God provided for her more plentifully at the Reformation.

7. And there was war in heaven - Here Satan makes his grand
opposition to the kingdom of God; but an end is now put to his accusing
the saints before God. The cause goes against him, verses 10, 11, chap.
xii, 10, 11 and Michael executes the sentence. That Michael is a created
angel, appears from his not daring, in disputing with Satan, Jude 9, to
bring a railing accusation; but only saying, "The Lord rebuke thee." And
this modesty is implied in his very name; for Michael signifies, "Who is
like God?" which implies also his deep reverence toward God, and
distance from all self-exaltation. Satan would be like God: the very
name of Michael asks, "Who is like God?" Not Satan; not the highest
archangel. It is he likewise that is afterward employed to seize, bind,
and imprison that proud spirit.

8. And he prevailed not - The dragon himself is principally
mentioned; but his angels, likewise, are to be understood. Neither was
this place found any more in heaven - So till now he had a place in
heaven. How deep a mystery is this! One may compare this with Luke x, 18; Eph. ii, 2; iv, 8; vi,
12.

9. And the great dragon was cast out - It is not yet said,
unto the earth - He was cast out of heaven; and at this the inhabitants
of heaven rejoice. He is termed the great dragon, as appearing here in
that shape, to intimate his poisonous and cruel disposition. The ancient
serpent - In allusion to his deceiving Eve in that form. Dragons are a
kind of large serpent. Who is called the Devil and Satan - These are
words of exactly the same meaning; only the former is Greek; the latter,
Hebrew; denoting the grand adversary of all the saints, whether Jews or
gentiles. He has deceived the whole world - Not only in their first
parents, but through all ages, and in all countries, into unbelief and
all wickedness; into the hating and persecuting faith and all goodness.
He was cast out unto the earth - He was cast out of heaven; and being
cast out thence, himself came to the earth. Nor had he been unemployed
on the earth before, although his ordinary abode was in heaven.

10. Now is come - Hence it is evident that all this chapter
belongs to the trumpet of the seventh angel. In the eleventh chapter,
from the fifteenth to the eighteenth verse, are proposed the contents of
this extensive trumpet; the execution of which is copiously described in
this and the following chapters. The salvation - Of the saints. The
might - Whereby the enemy is cast out. The kingdom - Here the majesty of
God is shown. And the power of his Christ - Which he will exert against
the beast; and when he also is taken away, then will the kingdom be
ascribed to Christ himself, chap. xix, 16; xx, 4. The accuser of our
brethren -- so long as they remained on earth. This great voice,
therefore, was the voice of men only. Who accused them before our God
day and night - Amazing malice of Satan, and patience of God!

11. And they have overcome him - Carried the cause against
him. By the blood of the Lamb - Which cleanses the soul from all sin,
and so leaves no room for accusing. And by the word of their testimony -
The word of God, which they believed and testified, even unto death. So,
for instance, died Olam, king of Sweden, in the year 900, whom his own
subjects would have compelled to idolatry; and, upon his refusal, slew
as a sacrifice to the idol which he would not worship. So did multitudes
of Bohemian Christians, in the year 916, when queen Drahomire raised a
severe persecution, wherein many "loved not their lives unto the
death."

12. Woe to the earth and the sea - This is the fourth and
last denunciation of the third woe, the most grievous of all. The first
was only, the second chiefly, on the earth, Asia; the third, both on the
earth and the sea, Europe. The earth is mentioned first, because it
began in Asia, before the beast brought it on Europe. He knoweth he hath
but a little time - Which extends from his casting out of heaven to his
being cast into the abyss. We are now come to a most important period of
time. The non-chronos hastens to an end. We live in the little time
wherein Satan hath great wrath; and this little time is now upon the
decline. We are in the "time, times, and half a time," wherein the woman
is "fed in the wilderness;" yea, the last part of it, "the half time,"
is begun. We are, as will be shown, towards the close of the "forty-two
months" of the beast; and when his number is fulfilled, grievous things
will be. Let him who does not regard the being seized by the wrath of
the devil; the falling unawares into the general temptation; the being
born away, by the most dreadful violence, into the worship of the beast
and his image, and, consequently, drinking the unmixed wine of the wrath
of God, and being tormented day and night forever and ever in the lake
of fire and brimstone; let him also who is confident that he can make
his way through all these by his own wisdom and strength, without need
of any such peculiar preservative as the word of this prophecy affords;
let him, I say, go hence. But let him who does not take these warnings
for senseless outcries, and blind alarms, beg of God, with all possible
earnestness, to give him his heavenly light herein. God has not given
this prophecy, in so solemn a manner, only to show his providence over
his church, but also that his servants may know at all times in what
particular period they are. And the more dangerous any period of time
is, the greater is the help which it affords. But where may we fix the
beginning and end of the little time? which is probably four-fifths of a
chronos, or somewhat above 888 years. This, which is the time of the
third woe, may reach from 947, to the year 1836. For,

1. The short interval of the second woe,
(which woe ended in the year 840,) and the 777 years of the woman, which
began about the year 847, quickly after which followed the war in
heaven, fix the beginning not long after 8lxiv, and thus the third woe
falls in the tenth century, extending from 900 to 1000; called the dark,
the iron, the unhappy age.

2. If we compare the length of the third woe
with the period of time which succeeds it in the twentieth chapter, it
is but a little time to that vast space which reaches from the beginning
of the non-chronos to the end of the world.

13. And when the dragon saw - That he could no longer
accuse the saints in heaven, he turned his wrath to do all possible
mischief on earth. He persecuted the woman - The ancient persecutions of
the church were mentioned, chap. i, 9, ii, 10, vii, 14; but this
persecution came after her flight, verse 6, just at the beginning of the
third woe. Accordingly, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the church
was furiously persecuted by several heathen powers. In Prussia, king
Adelbert was killed in the year 997, king Brunus in 1008; and when king
Stephen encouraged Christianity in Hungary, he met with violent
opposition. After his death, the heathens in Hungary set themselves to
root it out, and prevailed for several years. About the same time, the
army of the emperor, Henry the Third, was totally overthrown by the
Vandals. These, and all the accounts of those times, show with what fury
the dragon then persecuted the woman.

14. And there were given to the woman the two wings of the
great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place -
Eagles are the usual symbols of great potentates. So Ezek. xvii, 3, by "a great eagle', means the king of Babylon. Here the
great eagle is the Roman empire; the two wings, the eastern and western
branches of it. A place in the wilderness was mentioned in the sixth
verse also; but it is not the same which is mentioned here. In the text
there follow one after the other,

1. The dragon's waiting to devour the
child.

2. The birth of the child, which is caught up
to God.

3. The fleeing of the woman into the
wilderness.

4. The war in heaven, and the casting out of
the dragon.

5. The beginning of the third woe.

6. The persecution raised by the dragon
against the woman.

7. The woman's flying away upon the eagle's
wings. In like manner there follow one after the other,

1. The beginning of the twelve hundred and
sixty days.

2. The beginning of the little time.

3. The beginning of the time, times, and half
a time. This third period partly coincides both with the first and the
second. After the beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days, or
rather of the third woe, Christianity was exceedingly propagated, in the
midst of various persecutions. About the year 948 it was again settled
in Denmark; in 965, in Poland and Silesia; in 980, through all Russia.
In 997 it was brought into Hungary; into Sweden and Norway, both before
and after. Transylvania received it about 1000; and, soon after, other
parts of Dacia. Now, all the countries in which Christianity was settled
between the beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days, and the
imprisonment of the dragon, may be understood by the wilderness, and by
her place in particular. This place contained many countries; so that
Christianity now reached, in an uninterrupted tract, from the eastern to
the western empire; and both the emperors now lent their wings to the
woman, and provided a safe abode for her. Where she is fed - By God
rather than man; having little human help. For a time, and times, and
half a time - The length of the several periods here mentioned seems to
be nearly this: - YEARS

1. The non-chronos contains less than
1111

2. The little time 888

3. The time, times, and half a time 777

4. The time of the beast 666 And comparing
the prophecy and history together, they seem to begin and end nearly
thus:

1. The non-chronos extends from about 800 to
1836

2. The 1260 days of the woman from
847-1524

3. The little time 947-1836

4. The time, time, and half 1058-1836

5. The time of the beast is between the
beginning and end of the three times and a half. In the year 1058 the
empires had a good understanding with each other, and both protected the
woman. The bishops of Rome, likewise, particularly Victor II., were duly
subordinate to the emperor. We may observe, the twelve hundred and sixty
days of the woman, from 847 to 1524, and the three times and a half,
refer to the same wilderness. But in the former part of the twelve
hundred and sixty days, before the three times and an half began,
namely, from the year 847 to 1058, she was fed by others, being little
able to help herself; whereas, from 1058 to 1524, she is both fed by
others, and has food herself. To this the sciences transplanted into the
west from the eastern countries much contributed; the scriptures, in the
original tongues, brought into the west of Europe by the Jews and
Greeks, much more; and most of all, the Reformation, grounded on those
scriptures.

15. Water is an emblem of a great people; this water, of
the Turks in particular. About the year 1060 they overran the Christian
part of Asia. Afterward, they poured into Europe, and spread farther and
farther, till they had overflowed many nations.

16. But the earth helped the woman - The powers of the
earth; and indeed she needed help through this whole period. "The time"
was from 1058 to 1280; during which the Turkish flood ran higher and
higher, though frequently repressed by the emperors, or their generals,
helping the woman. "The" two "times" were from 1280 to 1725. During
these likewise the Turkish power flowed far and wide; but still from
time to time the princes of the earth helped the woman, that she was not
carried away by it. "The half time" is from 1725 to 1836. In the
beginning of this period the Turks began to meddle with the affairs of
Persia: wherein they have so entangled themselves, as to be the less
able to prevail against the two remaining Christian empires. Yet this
flood still reaches the woman "in her place;" and will, till near the
end of the "half time," itself be swallowed up, perhaps by means of
Russia, which is risen in the room of the eastern empire.

17. And the dragon was wroth - Anew, because he could not
cause her to be carried away by the stream. And he went forth - Into
other lands. To make war with the rest of her seed - Real Christians,
living under heathen or Turkish governors.